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The contingent convertible capital instruments (CoCos) also known as Additional Tier 1 bonds are  hybrid bonds that combines debt and equity elements. Its defining characteristic is that it may be converted into shares if the CET1 capital ratio drops below a specific level.

With earnings season in the banking sector underway, it may be the right time to take a look at some of the most commonly used, but more frequently misunderstood, financial terms. One of these terms is the expression 'positive jaws,' which has been used, for example, by BBVA CEO Onur Genç during the quarterly results presentations.

Market analysts have given a positive rating to BBVA’s results, presented on February 1. Their reports primarily focus on the strength of revenues and the positive performance of banking activity in Spain and the U.S.

BBVA’s quarterly results were viewed in a positive light by market analysts. The company’s attributable profit beat consensus estimates by 8 percent. Perform across all business areas was better than expected, especially in Mexico.

The new accounting regulation IFRS 9 aims to buttress financial stability against future crises.  It obliges financial institutions to more faithfully reflect credit risk and calculate provisions for insolvencies following an expected loss model (versus the previous “incurred loss” model). For a majority of financial institutions, this has resulted in an increase in provisions and the subsequent impact on capital.

Mª Ángeles Peláez, Head of Group Financial Accounting at BBVA, underscored the importance of the role of the expert accountant in correctly interpreting the wording of regulations in an environment of constant regulatory change. This was one of the subjects debated at the workshop on Standardization and Accounting Law organized by the Spanish Association of Accounting and Business Administration (AECA) at BBVA’s headquarters in Madrid.

BBVA's results for the first three months of 2018 surpassed market estimates by a wide margin. Banking analysts reacted positively to the results of both the Group and its regional franchises, which outperformed consensus forecasts. On the whole, analyst reports focused on the bank’s revenue strength, cost containment efforts, and impairment losses below expected levels.

Ten years after the crisis broke, has financial stability improved? In the opinion of  Ricardo Gómez Barredo, Head of Accounting & Supervisors at BBVA, “clearly, we have come a long way,” but adds “regulation will have to continue to adapt itself to the new demands to ensure a level playing field for everyone”.

In 2017, BBVA Group paid €9.9 billion in taxes, a 5 percent year-on-year increase. The amount paid in worldwide taxes for its own business activities was €4.1 billion, 9 percent more than in 2016. For the sixth consecutive year, BBVA has voluntarily disclosed its total tax contribution, consisting of the total of its own taxes and those made on behalf of third parties, thus complying with its corporate principle of transparency and a commitment to social responsibility.

A report by Standard and Poor’s Global (S&P) analyzes the potential impact on the financial sector of the entry of tech giants such as Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon. Although no immediate changes to bank ratings is foreseen, the report points out that in the long term these companies are well placed to get a position  in segments of the chain such as payment systems.

On January 31st, the European Banking Authority (EBA) announced the formal launch of this year’s EU-wide stress test exercise of the euro area. It also unveiled the macroeconomic scenarios under which the exercise will be carried out. The  adverse scenario implies a deviation of EU GDP from its baseline level by 8.3% in 2020, resulting in the most severe scenario to date. The EBA expects to publish the results of the exercise by 2 November 2018

BBVA took part in the first seminar organized by the Institute of Compliance Officers (IOC).  Executives of Spanish multinationals addressed the main challenges facing the profession in applying current regulations within a company. They underscored the fundamental role of the compliance officer in companies committed to transparency and good corporate governance.

Market analysts reported positively on BBVA’s 2017 results. The majority pointed to the solid underlying trends, the strength of recurring revenues and cost containment as the key drivers of the bank’s solid performance.

As had been expected, following its monthly meeting the European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged. At the same time, ECB President Mario Draghi introduced the exchange rate as an element of uncertainty, stressing that he will monitor the fluctuations in the euro and their possible consequences. Likewise, he reiterated the possibility of broadening the bond purchase program, continuing his accommodative policy, which will be accompanied by interest rates at minimum levels for a long period of time.

Today marks the second anniversary of death of David Bowie, a pop icon who needs no introduction. Hundreds of lines have been written about his life, career and concerts. But what many are not aware of is that Bowie was also a pioneer in the financial world: he was the first artist ever to issue a “celebrity bond.”

In December, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) announced the finalization of the review process of the Basel III framework, which will allow banks to better withstand financial crises. The new standards, which will enter into force in January 2022, should help clarify and bring more stability to the global regulatory framework.

BBVA Group Chief Risk Officer (CRO) Rafael Salinas analyzed the challenges of digital transformation and the rapid evolution of technological developments in risk management at the event entitled 'CRO Forum,  Rethinking Risk Management’ organized in Amsterdam by RiskMinds International.

Traditionally, it has been held that the value of a company equaled its net worth, that is, those elements that constitute the company’s own funds. However, this item (which is defined as the difference between assets and liabilities) doesn't take into account an intangible asset that is inherent to a company and which can generate future profits: goodwill.

The Financial Stability Board (FSB) has just published the list of Global Systemically Important Banks (G-SIBs) for 2017.  The number of institutions remains the same, but with three significant changes. Systemic banks have a major impact on the economy, but what makes them different from the rest?

The BBVA Group’s activity in the capital markets during 2017 has been nothing less than brilliant after having completed its latest issue of CoCo bonds in November.  During 2018, BBVA hopes to refinance the maturities of issues that are not eligible under EU norms, with Senior Non-Preferred debt. You can find all the information in the latest fixed income presentation.

The BBVA Group takes another step forward in its digital transformation and in improving customer experience, with a new website for shareholders and investors. The site includes new content and the latest trends in browsing, and is accessible from any mobile device.

The European Commission (EC) and the European Banking Authority (EBA) have published their work plans for 2018. The documents describe the specific activities and tasks the organizations plan to carry out next year. Both proposals place increasing importance on the fintech sector, since it could bring about a radical change the financial industry.

Market analysts have given positive reviews to BBVA’s third quarter 2017 results, which in many cases surpassed prior forecasts. In their reports, the analysts underscored the performance of expenditures and provisions below forecasts. BBVA´s businesses in Spain, Turkey and South America all surprised analysts with their good performance. 

The European Commission has published a legislative proposal to create a sort of European Securities and Exchange Commission – that is, a European agency that would centralize some of the stock exchange supervision competencies of the national authorities. Once it is approved, part of the activity that takes place on the European exchanges would come under control of the new European authority.

The country risk premium is the return that investors demand from a country to buy its sovereign bonds in comparison with that demanded from other countries. It is calculated as the difference between the interest rate of a country’s bonds compared to bonds issued by a benchmark country, considered "riskless."

Credit ratings are estimates that gauge the ability of a company, public administration or financial product to meet their financial commitments. In many cases they are taken as key indicators in capital markets when making investment decisions.

For months, European authorities have been mulling over a crucial issue for the health of the financial sector: reducing the stock of non-performing assets that have been piling up in banks’ balance sheets during the years of financial crisis.  The creation of a bad European bank is one of the alternatives that are being considered to solve the problem.

BBVA Group has published the June 2017 update of its presentation aimed mainly at analysts and fixed-income investors. The key new point is the incorporation of the 2017-2018 issuance plan for senior non-preferred debt. BBVA plans to issue up to €4.5 billion of this type of instrument this year and next.

BBVA has participated in a public hearing in the European Parliament, organized by the Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI). The aim of the hearing was to allow stakeholders to share their insights into the directive’s insolvency proposal with the MEPs. BBVA was the only representative of the financial sector, a fact that attests to the bank’s relevance for EU institutions on these matters.

Market analysts have positively evaluated the half-year results BBVA presented yesterday. The general opinion is that BBVA Group reported solid results that confirm its ability to generate strong rates of growth throughout 2017. The results were better than expected in the principal income statement categories and business areas.

Ricardo Gómez Barredo was there for the birth of BBVA (through the merger of BBV and Argentaria), a Group he has been associated with for more than two decades.Now he is in charge of functions that are so critical to a bank like liaising with supervisors, working out financial information and reporting.Professionally, he describes himself as very demanding of himself. He thinks that the best part of his professional experience has always been “the people I’ve been lucky enough to work with”.

The financial crisis has had dire consequences on the banking sector’s landscape.  Of the 8,600 entities that operated in Europe in 2008, only 6,500 remained at the beginning of this year.  In addition, these banks now have to operate under a regulatory framework that’s much stricter than the one that existed before the crisis, in a market that has also changed.  All this is leading European banks to shift their business models.  Do they now have a more retail-minded profile than before the crisis?  That’s what it looks like.

Unlike other sectors in Turkey, banks are standing out because of the excellent progress of their financial indicators in the first part of 2017. One of the reasons is the measures taken by the Turkish Government to stimulate growth. However, there are also other reasons that are making Turkish banks the ones preferred by many investors. Garanti, owned 49.85% by BBVA, has particularly shined bright.

This past 23 June, the Cabinet approved a new category of debt for issuance by all financial entities: senior non-preferred debt, which has the ability to absorb losses.

Ricardo Gómez Barredo, Director of Accounting & Supervisors at BBVA, indicated that “the first country that manages to balance the power of the bank regulators will be the most attractive to potential investors,” at the workshop “Madrid the financial center” last Friday. In the context of Brexit, the Spanish financial system should make the regulatory framework less complex in order to become an attractive destination for international banks.

The BBVA Group released today a new presentation for fixed income analysts and investors. The presentation will be updated on a quarterly basis.  The document offers detailed information about BBVA Group’s fundamentals and strategy in a number of fields of relevance for the market, with a special focus on credit quality, as well as the BBVA Group’s liquidity and capital adequacy position.

BBVA Group garners excellent results in a number of categories of the prestigious Extel Survey’s 2017 edition.  Jaime Sáenz de Tejada named Spain’s best chief financial officer.

As the markets expected, at its June meeting the European Central Bank (ECB) closed the door on further interest-rate cuts and adopted a more neutral stance on risks, although maintaining caution. Despite the fact that the institution has not yet given signs of taking a step to exit the current monetary policy, the ECB Watch report published by BBVA Research suggests that in September it may announce a slowdown in asset purchases starting in 2018.

Ricardo Gómez Barredo, Director of Accounting & Supervisors at BBVA taught the Rafael Termes Lesson at the University of Navarra’s School of Economics. “A clear and fair regulatory framework will contribute to financial stability, innovation, customer protection and efficiency gains in the market,” he told the 27th class at the School of Economics and twelfth class receiving a dual degree in Law.

Moody´s ratings agency has confirmed its stable outlook for the Spanish banking sector. This reflects the agency´s view regarding the evolution of the sector over the next two years. Moody´s believes that GDP growth will allow financial institutions to continue improving their asset quality metrics, although at a slower pace than last year. Likewise, Moody´s expects that the profitability of the banks will be maintained throughout 2017-2018, since lower provisions will compensate for the pressure on margins due to low interest rates.

The European Banking Authority (EBA) has announced that in December 2017, it will publish the results of the fourth annual transparency exercise carried out on financial institutions in the euro zone. Nearly 600,00 data points from 130 banks will be published, covering key aspects of their balance sheets.

Customer deposits are the principal source of liquidity for retail banks. But they also go to the capital markets, through debt issues. In this way, the banks can obtain financing and also meet the requirements of an increasingly demanding regulation. Depending on their characteristics, these issues are more or less similar to shares, which means that they also have priority when losses are taken, in the event the financial institution were to go bankrupt

Rating agencies are private institutions whose main function is to assess the credit risk of a company or financial product through a series of ratings. These assessments are often used in capital markets as benchmarks for investment decisions.

Market analysts reacted positively to BBVA’s better than expected quarterly results. Their reports underscored the bank’s strong revenues, cost containment and capital generation. In terms of business areas, Mexico and Turkey’s strong performance stood out.

These are the ratios that show up the financial position of a bank. This is a disclosure of BBVA’s ratios calculated as of March 2017.

The Chairman of the Spanish National Securities Market Commission (CNMV) has completed a round of meetings in the City of London to explain the measures adopted to facilitate the arrival of international firms to Spain. Also, the supervisory body of the Spanish financial markets recently announced four strategic lines for the next two years. The plan is aimed at yielding a more efficient, transparent, responsive and modern supervisor, a more attractive and appealing Spanish market, and better informed, educated and protected investors.

S&P changed its outlook for BBVA’s long-term rating (BBB+) from stable to positive. The agency once again highlighted the Group’s strong financial profile, resilient profitability levels and solid capital position.

BBVA on April 3 announced the successful placement of €1.5 billion five-year preferred senior debt with a floating coupon rate. High demand, about €3.25 billion, allowed the price to be cut to very competitive levels, without an issue premium. The order book closed in just two hours, drawing 260 international investors

Last year BBVA Group paid €3.76 billion in taxes on its global operations, 25.15% more than in 2015. Its global tax contribution (counting own taxes and third party taxes it manages) stood at €9.44 billion. For fifth consecutive year, BBVA is voluntarily releasing its tax contribution, in line with its corporate transparency principle and its social responsibility commitment.